What assessment has the Minister made of the possibility of placing a moratorium on all new small scale schemes which create energy from waste?
Our policy is clear that the incineration of waste for energy recovery is a transitionary stage. Through the range of action we are taking, including the banning or restricting certain single use plastics and working to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, we are working to move away from non-recyclable materials in order to achieve zero waste by 2050.
To assess the need for any scale of infrastructure throughout this transition period, the process applied is based on the quantity of material produced in Wales. A strategic impact assessment for the future need for energy from waste capacity in the three economic regions of Wales, which acts as our formal assessment, was published in March 2021. This replaced the earlier strategic assessment for the need for new energy from waste capacity in section 2.3.4 of the Collections, Infrastructure and Markets (CIM) Sector Plan published in 2012.
The updated assessment along with the accompanying written statement are material considerations in the planning process. Together with existing waste policy and national and local planning policy, these need to be taken into account in the determination of any relevant planning applications.
As well as setting out that against the assessment, large scale facilities are no longer needed in Wales, the written statement also set out additional requirements for smaller scale incinerators. The need for such facilities will continue to be evaluated in line with the established process. In doing so it will also consider the role that small scale facilities play in specific waste streams such as clinical waste, which has been so crucial during the pandemic.